After his subpar start to the season, the White Sox demoted Brooks Baldwin to Triple-A on Monday. The 24-year-old middle infielder-turned-outfielder had slashed .215/.257/.588 in 44 games this season before his return to Charlotte.

Baldwin’s demotion isn’t a surprise from a positional standpoint. The Sox reinstated outfielder Austin Slater from the 10-day IL and are expected to bring back Andrew Benintendi soon. However, keeping Andrew Vaughn (who can’t figure out how to bat above the Mendoza Line) and Vinny Capra (who’s hitting worse than Vaughn), on the team instead of Baldwin defies common sense to the nth degree.

Although his latest error against the Cubs didn’t do him any favors and his numbers aren’t what many had hoped they’d be, Baldwin’s Triple-A option underscores general manager Chris Getz’s hazy vision for the team. Until Spring Training, the Sox trended towards a youth crusade, beginning with the franchise’s overwhelming support for Colson Montgomery being the next face of the franchise and manager Will Venable’s full support for Miguel Vargas being the starting third baseman. But this youth-forward fairytale Sox front office fed fans has quickly devolved into a messy reality, muddying the rebuild timeline even further.

Without Baldwin and Colson being reliable starters for the Sox at this point in the season, the Sox show little progress toward competitiveness. Chicago’s Triple-A pitchers aren’t ready or able to handle big league hitting, and everyone knows Getz won’t rush Hagen Smith or Noah Schultz through Double-A. While Edgar Quero and Chase Meidroth have held their own so far, the Sox’s overwhelming reliance on washed-up and injury-riddled veterans, instead of seeing through their young players’ growing pains, is a disappointing strategy that shows no signs of changing.

Roster transformations don’t happen overnight in any organization, but the Sox are moving at a snail’s pace. Eventually, Chicago’s neglected players will become another team’s treasure, and everyone will have seen it coming years in advance. Getz’s commitment to giving nearly everyone except Vargas and Vaughn extended chances will be the primary reason for a second failed rebuild in 10 years, and the Sox will find themselves back at square one with a new GM and Jerry Reinsdorf (if he continues to outlive the McCaskey family) to thank.

I’m no seer, but the Sox need to quickly change gears if they don’t want the foreshadowed story to play out. There’s still time for Getz to right his wrongs, but the more insecurity he shows towards his prospects, the less likely any talented players will want to join the organization.

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